Responsible Investments (RI) Campaign
Welcome to the Responsible Investments Campaign! Here you will find important documents, contact information, project updates, and most importantly, who we are and what we believe in.
So Here's The Deal...
The University, although subsidized by the government, relies heavily on our endowment, which is made up primarily of private donations from all sorts of nice people. This money is invested in various projects and companies, and the greatest part is that we can get returns if we played our cards right!
But as is the case with all economic issues, some companies will reflect Berkeley's values more than others. Many companies, for instance, have put a huge emphasis on promoting environmental sustainability in their busines practices. Awesome, huh?
And That's Where We Come In...
We want to make sure that we invest in companies who demonstrate values of social justice and enviromental sustainability. We envision the creation of a University committee that writes policies regarding how we can invest our endowment in the most responsible way possible. Additionally, this committee would ensure that we are using our rights as shareholders to hold companies accountable to their promises, using our 'proxy votes' to promote more sustainable business practices.
Awesome idea, right? Well, we can't claim credt for it... because over fifty major universities are working on similar campaigns! In fact, Barnard College in Colombia, Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College, Williams College and many other prestigious institutions have already successfully instituted similar committees. Other universities such as Wesleyan and Portland State have gone a step further, and have actively sought out and invested in groups whose purpose it is to create social change. It's time for Berkeley to take charge and ensure the promotion of a better world through a culture of corporate responsibility!
We also consult with an NGO called Responsible Endowments Coalition that is working with dozens of college campus responsible investment advocacy groups.
More information on Community Investments (pdf file)
... And That's Where YOU Come In.
Want to help us create a better world? Wonderful! We meet every Tuesday at 7:00 on the forth floor of the MLK Student Union along with the rest of the ASUC Sustainability Team, where we could help you get involved in one of the most important issus on campus today. But you don't need to join a new group to help! Consider these nifty options:
-Encouraging your student group to publicly endorse and support our campaign. Contact us if you want to coalition with us.
-Sign our petition! the next time you're at The Local produce stand (any Wednesday on Sproul just in front of MLK) take out your headphones for a moment and come chat with us.
Want More Information?
Email us! We're real people and we DO respond to questions.
Whitney Ramos; calresponsibleinvestments{at}gmail{dot}com
Xander Lenc; xanderlenc{at}gmail{dot}com
